Lantana plant named ‘Robpatcha’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lantana  plant named ‘Robpatcha’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; uniformly mounded plant form; compact growth habit; short internodes; dense and bushy habit; freely and continuously flowering habit; and flowers that are soft orange and light pink in color.

Botanical designation: Lantana camara.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Robpatcha’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lantanaplant, botanically known as Lantana camara, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar name Robpatcha.

The new Lantana is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Grain Valley, Mo. The objective of the breeding programis to create new compact and freely-flowering Lantanas with attractiveflower coloration.

The new Lantana originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventorin August, 2001 of the Lantana cultivar Robpatcow, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 12,450, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietaryLantana seedling selection identified as code number 99-CRM-TC2, notpatented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Lantana was selectedas a single plant from the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination bythe Inventor in a controlled environment in Grain Valley, Mo., on thebasis of its compact growth habit and attractive flower coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Grain Valley, Mo., since September, 2002, hasshown that the unique features of this new Lantana are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Robpatcha have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and culture such as temperature and lightintensity, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Robpatcha’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Ropatcha’ as a new and distinct Lantanacultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; uniformly        mounded plant form.    -   2. Compact growth habit.    -   3. Short internodes, dense and bushy habit.    -   4. Freely and continuously flowering habit.    -   5. Flowers that are soft orange and light pink in color.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the parents. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Grain Valley, Mo., plants of thenew Lantana differed from plants of the female parent, the cultivarRobpatcow, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana were stronger and faster growing        than plants of the cultivar Robpatcow.    -   2. Plants of the new Lantana were broader than plants of the        cultivar Robpatcow.    -   3. Plants of the new Lantana were more freely flowering than        plants of the cultivar Robpatcow.    -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Lantana were lighter in color        than flowers of plants of the cultivar Robpatcow.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Grain Valley, Mo., plants ofthe new Lantana differed from plants of the male parent selection in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana were stronger and faster growing        than plants of the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Lantana were larger than plants of the male        parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Lantana and the male parent selection        differed in flower color as plants of the male parent selection        had creamy white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Lantana can also be compared to plants of the Lantanacultivar Robcomplan, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,837. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Grain Valley, Mo., plants of thenew Lantana differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Robcomplan inflower color as plants of the cultivar Robcomplan had yellow and hotpink-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Lantana. Plants used for the photographs were grown in anoutdoor nursery in Grain Valley, Mo. for about three months.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Robpatcha’ grown in the landscape for aboutthree months.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typicalinflorescences and leaves of ‘Robpatcha’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for thedescription were planted in containers after rooting and grown for about3 months during the spring in an outdoor nursery in Tolar, Tex. Duringthe production of the plants in the greenhouse, temperatures ranged fromabout 18° C. to about 35° C.

-   Botanical classification: Lantana camara cultivar Robpatcha.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Lantana camara cultivar Robpatcow,            disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,450.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Lantana camara seedling            selection identified as code number 99-CRM-TC2, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 16 days at 27° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 18 days at 27° C.        -   Time to develop roots, summer.—About 35 days at 24° C.        -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About 38 days at 24° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; initially glaucous white in            color then becoming closer to 161D with development.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Flowering subshrub; upright and outwardly spreading            plant habit; uniformly mounded plant form; compact growth            habit. Freely branching; two lateral branches potentially            forming at every node; pinching enhances lateral branch            development.        -   Plant height.—About 17 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 42 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 12 cm. Diameter: About            2.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Strength: Strong,            but flexible. Texture: Rough, pubescent. Color: Young: Close            to 144A. Woody: Close to 199A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; simple. Length:            About 4.4 cm. Width: About 3.4 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:            Acute. Base: Obtuse with truncate tendencies. Margin:            Crenate to serrate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Leathery, rough, coarse; pubescent. Luster: Upper surface:            Slightly glossy. Lower surface: Dull. Venation pattern:            Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing and fully expanded            foliage, upper surface: Close to 147A. Developing and fully            expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B. Venation,            upper surface: Close to 146A. Venation, lower surface: Close            to 146B to 146C. Petiole length: About 9 mm. Petiole            diameter: About 2 mm. Petiole texture, both surfaces:            Slightly pubescent. Petiole color, upper surface: Close to            146A. Petiole color, lower surface: Close to 146B to 146C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Small salverform flowers arranged in            axillary umbels; flowers face mostly upward or outward.            Flowers self-cleaning. Very freely flowering with            potentially two inflorescences per node; typically about 32            flowers per umbel.        -   Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn;            flowering continuous and consistent.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About one week.        -   Fragrance.—Faint, pleasant.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.5 cm.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 2.4 cm.        -   Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused,            four-parted; flowers roughly rectangular in shape. Diameter:            About 1.5 cm by 1.2 cm. Corolla tube length: About 1.3 cm.        -   Flower buds (before showing color).—Length: About 9 mm.            Diameter: About 8 mm. Shape: Roughly spherical to ovoid.            Color: Close to 144A.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of four            petals, fused into flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:            Upper and lower petals: About 7 mm. Lateral petals: About            5 mm. Petal width: Upper and lower petals: About 9 mm.            Lateral petals: About 3.5 mm. Petal shape: Spatulate to            somewhat orbicular. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal margin:            Entire. Petal lobe texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, velvety. Corolla throat and tube texture: Pubescent.            Color: Petal lobes, when opening, upper surface: Close to            9A; towards the apex, close to 9D. Petal lobes, when            opening, lower surface: Close to 9B to 9C. Petal lobes,            fully opened, upper surface: Close to 25A; towards the apex,            close to 39A; color fading to lighter orange and lighter            pink with development. Petal lobes, fully opened, lower            surface: Close to 25C. Throat: Close to 9A and 12A. Tube:            Close to 25C.        -   Calyx.—Quantity: One sepal per flower. Length: About 6 mm.            Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base:            Truncate. Texture, upper and lower surface: Pubescent.            Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Angle: About 45° from the stem. Strength: Flexible, but            strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.        -   Pedicels.—Not observed, flowers not stalked.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per            flower, adnate to floral tube. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther            length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 9A. Pollen            amount: None observed. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower.            Pistil length: About 1.5 mm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma            color: Close to 144B. Ovary color: Close to 144A.        -   Fruit.—Fruit development has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Lantana grown in the    garden have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests    common to Lantana.-   Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Lantana have been observed to    be very tolerant to rain and wind.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Lantana have been observed    to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 0° C. to 38° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lantana plant named ‘Robpatcha’, asillustrated and described.